


Crazy Road Trip

by YourShadow



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Amnesia, Cross-country Road Trip, Gen, based on a prompt, crazy road trip, it's a mystery just read it, vocal coach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-20 11:26:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2426996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourShadow/pseuds/YourShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>1. A female serial killer recently escaped from prison.<br/>2. A vocal coach with amnesia.<br/>3. Cross-country road trip.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.
> 
> This was inspired by a prompt from my boss, so kudos to her for always coming up with such amazing things for me to turn into fanfiction trash.

_Day 1_

“Um, where are we going again?”

“Jane, you’re the one driving.”

“I know…amnesia, remember?”

The man beside me sighed, and I didn’t have the time to be angry with him. I literally had no idea where I was going, and why I was put in charge of driving. According to the man, whose name was currently unknown to me, I’ve been suffering from mild amnesia for the past few days now. But I can’t seem to remember why or how or what. All the questions circling in my mind—

“Is that a bird?”

“Jane, it’s the same bird you noticed two hours ago. I’m going to take this thing off the dashboard if you keep getting distracted by it.” He gestured to the bobbling feature in front of my face.

“Well, it’s hard to see around it…hey, who are you again?” I asked him, turning to stare quizzically.

“Levi, now keep your eyes on the road.” He answered, pointing.

“But where are we going?”

“Just keep driving, we’ll get there eventually.”

“ _Where_?” My patience was starting to wear thin. I had a feeling I asked this a thousand times and never received an answer. Either that, or he gave up on answering because I would just forget it within the next ten minutes.

“ _This just in…it seems a renowned serial killer is on the loose._ ” The newscaster over the radio stated.

“Uh oh.”

Levi went to turn the radio off, or change the station, who knows, but as he was reaching for it I slapped his hand away. “No, I need to hear this. We don’t want to run into a serial killer, do we?”

He sighed again, covering his face with his hands.

“… _escaped from the state penitentiary on Saturday evening, and has not been seen since._ ”

“What day is it?” I asked my companion. What was his name again?

“Tuesday.”

“Wow, that’s a long time not to be seen.”

“Mhm.”

“You gonna fall asleep? That might not be a good idea since I don’t know where I’m going.”

Levi was already settling down into the seat, tipping his hat down to cover his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. “Like I said, just keep driving.”

“So we have no destination in mind.”

“Nope.”

And with that, my nameless companion grew silent. Well, until he started to snore. I was worried, because for some reason the fact that I had no idea where I was going and there was a serial killer running around didn’t bode well with me. I mean, what if we ran into this crazy person on the road? Why are we even going on this trip, anyway? Is this man my husband, boyfriend, friend, or some random stranger I picked up on the way to…wherever it is we’re going?

All these questions were giving me a headache and—

“That’s a cute bird.” I giggled, poking the figure to make it bobble around.

***

_Day 2_

“ _Day five of the manhunt for Hanji Zoe, or as the media called her, ‘Hanji Homicide,’ has begun._ ”

“That’s not very creative.” I muttered, listening to the newscast.

“What’s not creative?” a voice beside me spoke up.

“Ahhhhh!” with a terrified scream, I jerked away, taking the wheel with me. The car slid across the road into the next lane and horns blared, all while I was screaming and flailing at the man beside me. He, for some reason, was cussing and telling me repeatedly to ‘calm down, it’s just me’ as if I should know who this random person was in my car.

“Oh for goodness sake, do I have to be like 50 First Dates and record a video or make you write everything down?”

“What’s that?”

“The Adam Sandler movie.”

“Who is Adam Sandler?”

“No amount of memory loss can excuse you for not knowing who that comedic genius is. Take it back. Right. Now.”

“Um…who are you?”

***

_Day 3_  

“Are you _sure_ my name is Jane? I mean, it could be something else.” I asked.

“Why would it be something else?”

“Well, you may not have known me before I got my head all scrambled, and when you asked for my name I could have said anything that popped into my mind at the time.”

“I’ve known you for years, and your name is Jane. You’re a vocal coach who is teaching the next batch of teenage pop stars how to carry a tune long enough to achieve fame.” The man answered. Levi, wasn’t it? Or maybe Larry?

“Oh…so do you know why I have amnesia?”

“I don’t feel like explaining it to you again. Once you’re fully recovered, I’ll tell you everything.”

That sounded suspicious. I narrowed my eyes and frowned, but it was hard to see the road that way. Wait, why was I still driving?

“Why don’t you drive for once? My ass is sore.” I said.

“I don’t know how. And your ass will be sore whether you’re in the driver’s seat or passenger’s seat.”

“…how _old_ are you?” I asked. He looked to be in his late 20’s or early 30’s, but maybe he was just a really grumpy-looking teenager. Oh god, did I kidnap him? Where are his parents? Where are _my_ parents?

“Thirty-five, you twit.”

“Hey now, there’s no need for name-calling.” I told him sternly. “I was just curious why you don’t know how to drive.”

“Father never taught me.”

“…so you couldn’t just teach yourself?”

“Never had a car.”

“What, you just walked everywhere?”

He sighed, and I felt like I’d heard that sound multiple times before.

“Buses, bikes, and courteous friends are my usual transportation.” He finally answered.

Something in my head clicked, telling me to continue this line of questioning because it was important. “So am I one of those ‘courteous friends’?”

“Yeah.” He said, but it sounded…wrong.

“But you won’t tell me where you want to go? That’s weird. You’re weird. I’m going to pull over at the next rest station to figure all this out. I don’t think it’s safe to be driving across the country when I have no idea who I am, who you are, and where we’re going.”

“There’s no need for that.” He said quickly, body tensing.

“Why?” I asked, drawing out the word slowly. “I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be doing here and why you’re involved. I think I need to see a doctor.”

“You already saw a doctor and he said you were fine, so just. Keep. Driving.”

“You’re scaring me.”

“I’m _helping_ you. Trust me.” He sounded desperate, like maybe he was scared too.

“How can I trust you when I don’t even know you?”

“But you _do_ know me…you just don’t remember yet.” He mumbled, sitting back and crossing his arms.

“When did the doctor say I would start to remember?” I asked, voice softer. I didn’t want to be mean to him, but I was very confused and frustrated.

“A few weeks, a few months, a few years…nobody really knows.”

“So you’re basically stuck with me not remembering who you are? That must suck, I’m sorry.” I did really feel bad, even though I had no idea how this even happened. It must be frustrating for him to explain things to me all the time. Maybe he just didn’t have a lot of patience, and that was why he had a constant stink face.

He mumbled something, and I couldn’t really hear it but it sounded like “This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever done…”

***

_Day 4_

We did eventually stop, but it was just to sit down in a restaurant. We’d been getting food mostly from drive-thrus and gas stations. I finally demanded to get out of the car and actually sit at a proper table. Our vehicle—was it mine? his? did we steal it?—was filthy from all the food and bags flung everywhere. I wanted to take some time and clean it out as well, but he seemed antsy about staying in one place for too long.

Now, I may have had amnesia, but I wasn’t slow. I had a feeling we were running from or to something, but I just didn’t know what.

“Hi there, I’m Nancy and I’ll be taking care of you tonight.” The waitress said in a saccharine Midwestern accent. The signs on the road told me we were going West, like some sort of Manifest Destiny.

“Can I have some Coke?” I asked, throat dry from yelling at my companion. As he put it, I still couldn’t get his name right and he had a habit of pissing me off. I wondered if this was normal for our situation, or just because I couldn’t remember our connection to each other.

“Do you have any beer, ma’am?” He asked when the waitress turned her smile on him, pen poised over notepad.

“Yes we do, sir, we have imports on draft or in a bottle. They’re listed on the back of the menu.” She flipped the pamphlet over and pointed.

“Great…I’ll have…Budweiser.” He said hesitantly. She beamed, nodded at us, and left.

“Is it really smart to be drinking?” I asked in a hushed tone.

“If I have to spend another week in the car with you like this, trust me, I’ll need it. Besides, it’s just shitty beer.”

I shrugged, looking over the list of food. I wanted a burger. No, maybe some wings. Mmmmm pasta. What foods did I normally like? Was I allergic to anything?

“Hey…”

“You normally get a bacon burger, with extra onions. But for my sake, please don’t eat that many onions.”

“…really? I thought I was more of a…fish and chips kind of girl.” I guessed at random.

“You hate fish.” He stated.

“Do I have allergies?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Cool, so I probably won’t die from eating any of this.” I responded with a hint of sarcasm.

“You have the same chance as everyone else.” He answered smartly, and I had to agree.

We perused our menus in silence until the waitress returned with our drinks. When she asked what we wanted, he ordered steak with a loaded baked potato. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger, trusting him. I could always throw him in the trunk for punishment if I ended up hating bacon.

Where did _that_ thought come from? It was oddly violent, yet…felt natural. Maybe I was just an odd individual. It wasn’t the first weird thought I noticed. For one, I had the worst case of road rage imaginable. I found myself cursing at other drivers, flicking them off, and attempting to cause an accident just to get them out of my way. Whenever we stopped anywhere, my eyes scanned the area, taking note of everyone around. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I was a very observant person.

“I gotta take a piss, be right back.” My companion stated, getting up before I could reply to his crude choice of words.

Frowning, I watched him for a bit before turning back to the window I was fond of staring out of. Or was I still looking for something? Cars came in and out of the parking lot, people walked around and within the restaurant. Sometimes my heart rate sped up, and then lowered for no clear reason.

Something flashed, and I caught site of a golden star being shown to one of the waiters. This was one of those moments when my pulse jumped and I started breathing quicker. But why? He was just a cop, here to protect and serve…right? Did I have bad history with cops?

“We’re looking for her now; she has dark hair and is pretty tall, maybe about this high.” The cop had his hand level to his shoulders. That was one tall gal! Actually, I realized that I was pretty tall, too. But my hair was a light blond. For some reason, it didn’t seem right on me, but I didn’t question it.

But I was curious, so I carefully took out my wallet from my purse. I’m not sure why I was being so slow and sneaky, but it felt appropriate. Besides, when I looked at my driver’s license, I realized what was really going on.

In the picture I had dark hair, glasses, and my name wasn’t Jane.

It was Hanji. Hanji Zoe.

***

“I don’t know how much longer I can take this.”

“ _You agreed to take her. Stop complaining and just make sure you guys get here without being caught._ ”

“Kinda hard to do that when she keeps forgetting who I am, or who she is. I told you we should’ve changed plans as soon as she got hurt. What if she’s not careful? She doesn’t _know_.”

“ _She’s smart and intuitive. Even with the amnesia, she should be aware of her situation. Maybe you should just tell her._ ”

“So she can freak out on me again and forget it ten minutes later? No thanks. You can tell her everything once we get there.”

“ _How far away are you?_ ”

“Couple more days, at least. We’re in the Midwest right now.”

“ _Well hurry up before the cops grow brains. They know she’s running, so they’re out everywhere._ ”

“Yeah, yeah. I gotta get back before she does something stupid or crazy, just wanted to check in.”

“ _Just keep it together until you get here, alright?_ ”

“You sound gross, all concerned and shit.”

“ _Shut up and drive._ ”

*** 

It all made sense now. I was the serial killer running loose across the country. I was the woman that cop was looking for. Should I turn myself in? I would probably regret it once my mind came back, since I was clearly running for a reason. Maybe I was innocent. I probably wasn’t even a vocal coach. Or maybe I was, and I was framed? Did…did the guy I was with know?

I hastily put my driver’s license back and pretended like everything was fine, even though I wanted to scream. Once I was alone with him, I would make my companion tell me just what the hell was going on. I would get creative if I had to. If he knew I was a killer—or set up to be a killer—maybe he would take my threats seriously.

Either that or laugh at me.

My face was set by the time he returned. He wouldn’t suspect a thing.

“Shit, is that a cop?” he swore, eyeing the badge and uniform.

“I think he’s looking for the serial killer.” I stated. He looked at me for a long time, eyes measuring my own. He knew. He’s always known.

“Yeah…that means she might be close, then. We should…we should leave soon so we don’t get caught up in the chase.”

I nodded, throat tight around my words. The food came out and the waitress was friendly, smiling and chatting, but either my amnesia or state of mind blocked out the conversation. My stomach was in knots as I ate, twisting and churning after just a few bites. The bacon was good and greasy, but I was too upset and scared to really enjoy it. My companion didn’t seem very comfortable, either. His shoulders were stiff, eyes constantly darting around the restaurant, where the cop was stopping at every table to question the patrons. He made his way closer, and we both rushed to finish our food. The waitress was nowhere to be seen, so we couldn’t ask for the check.

“Good evening, sir, ma’am.” The cop nodded to both of us. He looked like a Southern cowboy with his long legs and dark hair. He eyed my companion as if he knew something. I nodded in greeting, eyes wide and doe-like. The cop slid a mug shot picture on the table, slowly, watching us carefully. “We’re looking for this woman. Have you seen her?”

I absently touched my hair, wondering when we dyed it, and how else my features have been altered. It was almost like looking into a mirror, staring at the picture, but there were enough subtle differences that people would believe we were two different people. I don’t think this cop had that opinion, though.

“Just on the news, officer.” The man sitting across from me replied. “Why, is she close? I’d hate to have a run-in during our vacation.”

The lie was smooth and deft. I almost believed it.

“We’re not sure, just checking all over the country. She won’t be loose for long, though. Don’t worry, we’ll catch her eventually. We always do.” The cop smiled, but I didn’t trust it. “Thanks for taking a look. Have a great vacation.”

The waitress suddenly appeared after the cop walked away, dropping off the check with a wink and twirl. My companion snatched it up and left some cash, then stood quickly.

“Come on, we need to go.”

I didn’t reply. Once we got on the road and were far enough away, I would unleash my fury in the form of a very strongly-worded lecture. Our waitress called out to us to have a good night as we left, and the cop was outside with a cigarette between his teeth.

“Leaving so soon? I hope I didn’t scare you off.” He drawled, eyeing us.

“No, we just need to check in.” Levi—since when did I remember his name?—told him.

“Which hotel are ya’ll stayin’ at?” the cop replied with a more pronounced accent.

“Just the standard Motel 6.” We were already walking away, waving so as to appear polite.

“There aren’t any of those around here.” The cop said behind us in a knowing tone.

“We uh…we’re still on our way. Just stopped for dinner.”

Adding more details to a lie always made it easier to spot. We all knew that. We reached the car, knowing the chase would begin once we pulled out of the parking lot. The cop probably called in for back-up already. They might be waiting to ambush us down the road. I glanced at Levi nervously, still wondering if my memories were finally returning or if I was more in tune with my surroundings. He made a subtle move with his head and I got behind the driver’s seat.

“Go fast. Take sharp turns.” His tone was clipped as I started the engine. Backing out, I could see the cop watching us. He flicked his cigarette butt on the ground just as the wheels squealed.


	2. Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should say now that there are "spoilers" for recent chapters in the manga but really they're just references to events you guys should probably know about by now.

Sirens screamed behind us, blue and red lights flashing in the rearview mirror. My hands were clenching the wheel tightly, knuckles pale and standing out against my skin. I was leaning forward, body tight. Levi had one hand on the dash, another on a gun he pointed out the busted back window. My arm was nicked with a bullet wound, a small graze with blood seeping out.

“They’ll catch up at this rate.” He hissed, shooting off a few rounds.

“I can’t go any faster!” I yelled back. “When the hell were you going to tell me who and what I really was?”

“This isn’t the time!”

“I don’t care! I was going to yell at you anyway once we were back on the road, so now is just as good a time as any!”

“Just focus on driving. If we make it out alive I’ll explain everything.” He growled, ducking behind the seat as the cops fired back.

“ _For the last time, pull over your vehicle and surrender or we will gun you down!_ ” a gruff voice yelled through a microphone.

“I’ll do it. I’ll turn us in.” I threatened.

He whirled around to stare at me, terrified. “No. You can’t. We’ve worked too hard for this.”

“I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know if I’m a murderess or was framed. I don’t know who you are to me, or where we’re going, or why. If they know I have amnesia, maybe they’ll explain.”

“No!” he yelled, stepping on my foot as I started to ease off the gas. I shrieked as we shot forward, toes crushed beneath his shoe. “That’s the worst idea for us right now. They don’t want to take us back to jail, they want to execute us.”

“You can’t just execute people, we’re in modern times!” I shout.

“You don’t know these cops like I do. They’ve been after us for _years_.”

“So I really did kill those people.” The car swerved, as my eyes kept darting between the road and his face. Lights appeared up ahead, heading toward us. They were setting up a blockade.

“Go off-road.”

“What?” I gasped, but he jerked the wheel over so that we plummeted into the dirt, swerving and sliding in the grass.

“Keep going!” His foot was gone, but I could still feel the pressure.

He jumped into the backseat, rifling through one of the bags and taking out more weapons and ammunition. How did I never notice this? How did I drive with this guy for several days without knowing what was happening around me?

“Once we lose them, you’re talking. I don’t care what I have to do, you’re going to explain everything to me in as much detail as possible.” I told him in a sharp, low tone. He knew I was serious, just like I knew it. Things were starting to come back to me. Maybe I would remember before he had to tell me. Which would be easier: hearing it from him, or seeing it in my own mind’s eye?

It was darker out here with no street lamps to guide me, so it was hard to see what I was driving into. The ground was bumpy, so the car jumped, bouncing us up and down. I heard Levi hit his head a few times on the top of the car, and he swore as he was getting thrown around, then managed to steady himself.

“I’m staying back here, in case they’re following.”

“And also so I can’t reach you.”

“I don’t need you hitting me while I’m trying to shoot.”

“Where did you even get those weapons?”

“Gun store.” He retorted sarcastically.

“I would’ve never guessed.” I snapped.

“Just focus.”

We were quiet, and I strained my ears listening for the sirens. Maybe they turned off the sound and lights so they could sneak up on us. I couldn’t turn off my headlights or I would run into something. I wanted to slow down, to figure out where the cops were. We might just be racing toward a trap.

“Head West.” Levi finally told me. I watched him take out a cell phone in the rearview mirror. After a while I heard him talking to someone on the other line. “They found us.”

I tried to steady my breathing, tried to listen to the person on the other side of the phone, but the bumpy road made it hard to listen.

“It’s him. We were stopped for dinner and he came in looking for her. I knew the dye job and ditching her glasses wasn’t enough.” I kept listening, trying to figure things out from the conversation. So there were more people involved. Maybe we were going to meet up with these people, or they helped me escape. “Hey, I did the best we could. When that went down, you said to keep moving and I did. You’re taking the blame for this, not me.” Levi was getting angry, but I wasn’t sure what he was referring to. My escape, or capture?

I saw more lights and reached back, waving to get his attention. When he glared at me, I pointed.

“Yeah, we see him.”

“What? Who?” I finally spoke. He shushed me and crawled back into the passenger’s seat.

“Slow down and head toward the light.” He told me after hanging up.

“Who was that? Who is up ahead?” I asked.

“You’ll know once we stop.”

“And you’ll explain everything?”

He was tucking the gun into his pants as he replied, “Yeah.”

I slowed the car until it stopped a couple hundred feet away from the other car. There was a tall man leaning against the car, hands in his pockets, waiting. Levi got out, grabbing some bags. “We need to ditch this car. Grab everything you can quickly.”

I didn’t feel like arguing anymore, so I started grabbing bags and trying to clean up the mess. I figured if the cops found our vehicle, we’d want it to be spotless.

“Mike.” My companion addressed the taller man, who nodded in return. They opened the trunk and started shoving bags in. I walked over, wary of the new person, but he didn’t seem to mind. He had a knowing look, like we were at least acquaintances. Maybe he was another ‘friend’ of mine.

“How are you doing, Hanji?” the tall man asked suddenly. Levi looked up to glare, but said nothing as he strode past us and back to the other car.

“Um…a little confused and irritated, to be honest.”

“Don’t remember me?” he asked.

“Not really…sorry.”

“That’s fine. I’m sorry you had to put up with this asshole.”

“Try the other way around, jerk.” Levi muttered as he walked by with more bags.

“Yeah, I think I pissed him off with my memory loss.”

“He can deal with it.” Mike told me with a small smile.

“We need to hurry, so quit standing around like a useless bum and try helping out.” Levi snapped. Mike shrugged and grabbed a few bags. I didn’t even know what all we had in our car, and what was in these bags. I assumed clothes and toiletries, but now there was a bag filled with weapons and ammo, so who knows what else we could be packing.

Once everything was set, Levi slid into the passenger seat and directed me to the backseat. “Why don’t you get some rest?” He shot over his shoulder.

“Tell me what’s going on. You promised.”

“I didn’t promise anything. I lied. You’ll know when your memory comes back. Right now we can’t risk it.”

“But if I don’t know anything, won’t we be more at risk? What if they capture us again?” I asked.

“Then you won’t know jack and they’ll have nothing to go on. The less you know right now, the better.”

Mike was already driving, silent as he used only his dimmers for a guide. He glanced at us a few times and sniffed the air. I decided to get some sleep, so I could be refreshed enough to yell at them both later.

*** 

When I woke up, I was greeted by yet another tall man who was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. His chiseled face had a stern expression, but I vaguely recognized those ocean eyes and blond hair.

“Welcome back, Hanji.” The man stated in a deep voice.

The dreams I had while asleep were either memories or wild fantasies, but this man featured in them. Either my amnesia was clearing up, or being surrounded by all these reminders helped to jog my memory back.

“Hi…” I still couldn’t remember his name, though.

The man was glaring at Levi, who no longer had a hat to cover his short black hair. They were having a staring contest, both scowling at each other, while Mike sat with an amused expression. I sat up from the couch I was laying on, stretching and sighing.

“Alright, who is going to tell me the truth?” I asked. Something in my voice told them I wouldn’t take any more bullshit. My road companion and the new guy shared another glare between them before I got my answer.

“To be fair, this was all your idea. The only thing that wasn’t involved was your injury. Although, knowing you, it was probably another part of your plan that you didn’t feel the need to reveal to us.” The taller man said, stepping away from the wall to approach me.

“So I’m a killer, and you people are my gang of criminals or something?” I asked, glancing between them.

“We’re your friends.” Tall guy number two stated gently. “And don’t let yourself think that you’re a bad guy. Those people…they deserved it.”

“No one deserves to be murdered!” I shouted, angry at them and at myself. How could I disregard a human life? What were my ideals? Who _was_ I?

“What about that one driver who cut you off two days ago? You threatened to run him over multiple times and leave him for the animals.” Levi spoke up. Two heads turned to glare at him. Mike’s smile only grew wider.

“So who, exactly, are you?” I asked the third person to help me escape prison. I knew he was familiar, but it was difficult to nail down the facts from memory-land. My head hurt, even though I finally felt well-rested. When we were driving, we usually just pulled over to the side of the road and slept in the car. Why didn’t I question it then? Maybe I did, but could never remember the reason.

“Just call me Smith for now. If things go bad and you get captured again, or separated from us, I’d rather you not know me.”

“I thought you were my friends?” They were definitely criminals, possibly other killers. What would they do with me if I never remembered who I was?

“We are, but we’re in just as much trouble as you are. The cops lost your trail, but we’ll have to move again before they pick it up again. The cops who are chasing us are relentless.”

“So the one at the diner?” I turned to Levi, confused.

“Kenny. He’s been on our case for a while now, and is like a bloodhound after smelling some fox.” Levi answered.

“He’s not a particularly nice individual.” Mike finally spoke. I had a feeling he didn’t use words often, so I assumed he was being truthful.

“So what, we’re being framed by a bunch of crooked cops?” I asked again. Maybe this was better, maybe—

“Oh no, we definitely killed those people. But like ‘Smith’ said, they deserved it.” Levi made air quotations when he said Smith’s name, and again they commenced with glaring at each other. I had a feeling these two never got along. Either that, or Levi was just a jerk to everyone.

“Who were they?”

“Cops.” Smith answered.

“What?!” I shouted. I killed cops. Were they corrupt, is that why I killed them?

Levi sighed, rubbing his face. “I told you it’s not a good idea to tell her any more. You’re hiding your real name, so what’s the point of telling her the truth right now?” he muttered.

“I’m telling her the necessary facts. It’s not my fault you didn’t disguise yourself that well and told her your name.”

“The hat was a bad idea, alright? Shut up about it.” Levi snapped, turning away.

“Quit squabbling for two seconds and tell me what’s going on!” I yelled at them. Smith’s expression held a brief moment of surprise, until he smiled.

“Of course. The only thing you need to know is that we’re not the bad guys here. You killed those caps for a reason, and now we’re being made out as criminals. Their buddies want revenge. They won’t bring us in to the station in handcuffs, they’ll bring us in body bags. There’s a reward on our heads.”

“A bounty? But you haven’t really explained anything. Why did I kill them? What are we doing here? What’s our plan?”

“You’re already starting to remember, just give it some time.” He told me. I sighed, lying back down and rubbing my face.

“Hey, can I have my glasses back? I haven’t been able to see shit for days.

“They’re broken from your accident. We didn’t get new ones because it made for a good disguise.”

“But I have a migraine from all the straining. If we’re going to leave again—,” I began, but Smith interrupted me.

“I’ll drive.”

“Great.” Levi said in a snarky tone. “I’m still sore from _her_ driving.”

“You should’ve learned how to drive, then.” I told him, feeling smug for once. He scowled at me, and a sense of familiarity formed. I had a feeling this was closer to our normal interactions.

“I can still teach you.” Mike offered.

“Shut. Up.”

***

_Day 7_  

We stayed for a few days, even though I had the feeling they were in a hurry. While I was trying to remember as much as I could, they were tracking the news and trying to find the best time to leave and where to go. From what I heard during their terse conversations, they had a few backup plans in case, featuring safe houses across the country and a few in remote parts of the world.  

“I’m not going back to France.” Levi growled at Smith. I started to notice a faint accent from him, one that was becoming more prominent as he spoke with our group.

“It may be our only choice.” Smith replied calmly.

“I came over here for asylum. Going back would be suicide.”

“We could dye your hair blond and give you really big hipster glasses.” I suggested, popping up behind him. He jumped, whirling around to glare at me.

“No.”

“Oh come on, it’s such a great disguise! If you want, you can even wear a beret.” I grinned.

Smith was laughing, and Mike was smiling appreciatively, while Levi fumed.

“I hate you all and I hope you die in a fire.” He spat, storming away.

“Is he always like that?” I asked Smith, glancing at the plans they had laid out.

“More or less. He’s just cranky because everything is up in the air right now. At least that’s what he thinks. I’ve had this planned for a while now.”

“Maybe he’s mad that you haven’t told him everything yet.” I said, surprising myself. For some reason, I knew Smith was the kind of person who always had an ace up his sleeve, who always had a backup option prepared and ready to go. He gave me a look.

“He has a habit of being reckless, although he takes orders well. But yes, he’s mad at me right now, which is why he’s not cooperating.”

“You sound like a soldier when you talk like that, you know.” I tell him. It wasn’t the first time he used military speak around me. I had a feeling he was a veteran, someone of high rank, with the way he acted. I couldn’t imagine Levi as a soldier, though, not with his attitude.

“His nickname is the Commander.” Mike said, suddenly beside me. It was strange for such a big man to make so little noise. I hardly knew when he was around.

“Mike…” Smith warned, as if we were getting too close to the truth.

“And mine is the Nose.” Mike told me, ignoring his friend. When I blinked at him, he added, “I have a keen sense of smell.”

“What is Levi’s nickname?” I asked, already starting to grin.

“Captain.” Mike answered, and my grin faltered. More military terms. “But you like to call him short shit. In turn, he usually calls you shitty glasses or four eyes.”

“What is my ‘official’ nickname in our little operation?” I asked, interested in learning more about our group. It could give me insight into our situation.

“The Scientist.”

“I thought I was a vocal coach.” I frowned. I didn’t mind being referred to as a scientist. In fact, I had a feeling science and I went along well.

“That was your cover.” Smith explained, still staring at the maps and data on the table.

“So what am I really? And what do you guys even do for a living?”

They gave me a look that I had come to associate with ‘you’ll know when you remember’ and turned back to the plans. I sighed, wondering where Levi went. I felt like I needed to apologize for some reason. He seemed really pissed off ever since we got here. Actually, he just seemed always pissed off, but I felt like it was happening more than usual lately.

“So what happened in France? Or is that classified information?” I asked, just in case they decided to humor me.

“That’s his story to tell, not ours.” Smith said without even looking up. He straightened, putting his fist under his chin as if contemplating his decision.

“So there’s honor among thieves after all.” I murmured. He flicked his gaze my way, but didn’t reply to my comment.

“I think I know what we’re going to do.”

“Mind sharing with the rest of us, oh mighty one?” Levi drawled as he walked back in with a drink in hand.

Smith frowned at him. “Tone it down.”

“Yes, sir, Commander.” Levi mocked him with a salute and slumped onto the couch, taking a swig of his drink.

“You’ll be happy to know that we aren’t going to France.” Smith stated.

Levi put his fist in the air. “Woo!”

“But the bad news is we still have to leave, and get as far away from here as possible. Which means…”

“Another long-ass, cross-country road trip. Like we didn’t just waste nearly a week fleeing across the country. So what, the plan is to just take me back to where I escaped from?” I asked, frowning. That didn’t seem very smart. Sure, the cops would have to chase us back, and probably wouldn’t expect us to end up where we started, but still.

“No, we’re going in a different direction.”

“Which direction would that be?”

He gave me an odd look. Levi and Mike were staring intently, waiting. “How do you feel about…Florida?”

***

A couple days later, my toes were in the sand and a piña colada was in my hand. We had nothing to fear about the corrupt cops chasing us, and life was bliss. I even had my memory back! It was an interesting car ride, to be sure. Halfway across the country, the cops who followed us to the middle of nowhere in Oregon realized we were no longer there. We were a few days ahead of them, already in Colorado and crossing into Kansas, when they set up a new search.

Of course, it wasn’t easy. Smith ended up losing his arm once they found us in Mississippi, after a stray bullet severed too much tissue and muscle to repair without an expert doctor, which we didn’t really have at the time. They had to chop it off and wrap him up in a rush job, since the cops were in a shootout with Mike and Levi right outside the building we used for cover. Thankfully we all survived—save Smith’s arm—and the chase ended in the Sunshine state. Of course, it was raining when we arrived, and had been for at least a week.

It was somewhere between Oklahoma and Alabama that my full memories started to return and the amnesia lifted. Being in that kind of danger really made me think about the times before when we were running from the law.

For starters, Smith’s first name was Erwin, I couldn’t sing worth a crap, and we were a group of ex-military operatives who found out something nasty within our government. We were involved with a network of people who knew the truth about the disgusting nature of the police and were trying to expose it to the country. When I killed those cops, it was in self-defense (mostly) because they were trying to shut our operation down. We lost a lot of people along the way, good people who had a lot more years to live and family members who cared about them, but we carried on.

Now it was over. Erwin was smart enough to release pivotal information we had been gathering for years through newspapers and TV stations, exposing our government’s dirty secrets with the help of civilians who wanted to report the truth instead of more lies. While it would take some time for change to truly occur, it was a start. Our current government head was detained and a new system was being implemented.

Erwin was in the middle of everything, and Mike was by his side to act as his bodyguard. The people wanted President Smith, but there was already someone else we had planned. Of course, I kind of preferred President Smith over the other person, but politics wasn’t his thing. Despite how good of a leader he was—and could be—he had seen and done too much to feel qualified for the job. I told him it was guilt, and he agreed. That was that.

We parted ways once we reached Florida. After a bit of relaxation while the shit hit the fan, Erwin and Mike flew up to Washington, D.C. Levi and I stayed behind, setting up our headquarters under the hot Florida sun. Others were scattered across the nation, urging things in the right direction.

Levi was lounging on a beach chair beside me, a drink in his hand as well. I glanced over at him, thinking sunglasses looked really good on him. He gave a small smirk when he noticed me staring, and I responded with a devious grin. We touched our glasses together with a soft _clink_ , took a sip, and shouted a toast to the bright blue sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you squint you'll see slight LeviHan. Also very very very slight EruMike. You gotta scrunch your face up a bit.
> 
> Cookies to whoever got all the insane references.

**Author's Note:**

> Help I can't come up with a better title


End file.
